AN: I own nothing related to Haruhi Suzumiya, regrettably.

The best, and most comprehensive, description I can provide of when Asakura woke up is that things were very, very confusing until Nagato came in, shrunk the person who had been sleeping next to me and carried them off so that I could get dressed in peace. After that the day was as interesting as any day spent watching TV with a pair of humanoid interfaces (though one of them was reading) can be until Asakura was restored to her full size to cook, apparently being better at it than Nagato and trustworthy because of my surviving the night.

Whilst waiting for dinner to cook, I asked Nagato about why Asakura was so affectionate compared with the girl that had tried to kill me twice.

"The original Asakura Ryoko was amongst the first interfaces created and received two personalities. One was solely focused on her mission with no emotions; the second was highly affectionate. The original Asakura Ryoko's personality was the split of control between these two personalities. The second Asakura Ryoko possessed a personality formed by the two original personalities combined. The third Asakura Ryoko is the affectionate personality with some parts of the mission-focused personality." Nagato explained.

Wouldn't that mean that subsequent interfaces were only given one personality? If so, were you given a mission-focused personality and Kimidori-san a more balanced personality?

"Yes."

Can we change subject? This talk of personalities is confusing me.

"Yes."

That's not helping the conversation, you know.

"Yes."

I believe that's the first time you've displayed a sense of humour. I wonder what your laugh sounds like?

"Dinner is ready!" Asakura called, leaving me wondering if either of the other two that lived with me had an uncanny ability to finish dinner at just the right time to end a conversation.

After dinner (which proved that Asakura was the better cook – though Nagato was by no means bad) Asakura fled the apartment to avoid being shrunk and Nagato took off in pursuit, telling me to pick one of the games on her laptop (one of those acquired from the Computer Club after their loss) and play it.

During the hour or so it took for Nagato to catch her backup's backup, I followed the odd instruction and quickly gave up trying to find a game that wasn't eroge of some sort and just picked the first one I could find. Like all the others, it was lacking in more than one or two male characters (some managed without any). Not that that bothered me – I still had the mind I had possessed all my life – but it did seem to indicate that what Asakura had said about Nagato the previous night was the truth.

"But I don't want to stay here all the time! Just because I'm not needed elsewhere doesn't mean I shouldn't be somewhere else. What if something happens to your backup and I'm here? I can't support them then! What if you're not around to help?" Asakura shouted whilst being carried through the door. Isn't that size too small to be seen in public?

"Then you won't be either."

"But I might be!"

Why not just let her get out now that she can be trusted? Where did she want to go, anyway?

"School." Nagato said.

Isn't it a bit late to go there?

"…"

"I was planning to wait until tomorrow."

It seems like a good idea to let Asakura go to school again at some point, Haruhi will be bound to find that interesting. And as the world has just been changed recently, what's to say it won't change again if she gets bored?

"…"

"Does that mean I get to come tomorrow?"

No.

"Please?"

No. Stop looking at me like that! Fine, if Nagato agrees.

"Yes."

"I see you've been playing one of Nagato's games." Asakura said, wiggling out of Nagato's grip and latching herself to my shoulder.

Who said I was playing any such game? See? Nothing but a blank screen.

"I saw you close it."

Nagato suggested it.

"That didn't mean you had to play it."

Just let me go to sleep before I die of embarrassment. It's bad enough to be caught doing things like that at any time. Being a girl now somehow makes it seem… worse. I don't know why.

"Fine, Kyonko-chan."

Please don't call me that.

The next morning brought clear skies for my first trip to school since Haruhi had changed my body. It made climbing the already-steep hill even worse than it had been before, which coupled with the thoughts that had been nagging at me since the morning put me in an inhospitable mood by the time I reached school.

Since I had been woken up by Asakura and Nagato long before I normally woke, by being lifted out of bed and dropped on the floor, I got a chance to see the school almost completely devoid of life, apart from one or two people. It definitely wasn't something I wanted to see, not after being trapped with Haruhi in exactly the same place, even though it was a bit darker.

Both of my escorts left me for their classrooms at the entrance. I could have gone with Asakura but I didn't really want to be all alone with her in case she started trying to do anything. Instead, I stood around feeling conspicuous (I had still been unable to tie my hair properly and my choice of clothing was as limited as ever – at least it was the right season for thigh-high socks) for five minutes before deciding to wait in the clubroom and try and work out how I was going to act as if I didn't know anyone. After all, forgetting people after meeting them on one day was a lot easier to excuse than acting as if I knew people I didn't.

The clubroom wasn't as unoccupied as I had expected it to be. Instead it contained a lone Haruhi, slumped against a bookshelf and sitting next to a large bag full of something, presumably bottles if the one in Haruhi's hand was anything to go by.

"Oh, it's just you. I thought it would be a teacher for a second." She said, waving at me to indicate that I should sit beside her. Since it was Haruhi, refusal wasn't an option. I was in no doubt that if I refused for a second, she would drag me over to where she was sitting. So I obeyed, looking at the bottle as I sat down.

Wine.

Haruhi, I thought you had declared that no-one in the SOS Brigade was to drink alcohol?

"That was only for one night. Besides, it's not as if anyone will notice that I've drunk any."

I'm sure the teachers will notice if a student has drunk half a bottle of wine.

"Who said I was going to class? Why does it matter? The one man I thought I might be able to fall in love with is gone to another country, without any idea of my possible feelings. Or maybe he thought I did love him and just ignored it. Or maybe he didn't know but did love me and was scared to say it… what if he had said it? Maybe he would have tried to persuade his parents to let him stay with a relative. And now he's gone, and my one chance of being able to fall in love with someone with my parents' approval is gone. Why does school matter? When it's over there's college and then work, slaving for money. But if I'm all alone by then, why does any of that matter? I'll just be working to prolong the loneliness." Haruhi argued, before downing as much of the wine as she could in one breath and continuing to talk. "But when he goes someone else arrives, someone who would be even easier to love. But if I choose them then I lose my parents affection and I'm not even guaranteed to get them. How can I pick between my parents and romantic love? And how can I just go after another person when I might be in love with the person that's gone?"

Haruhi continued to talk, and drink, for a while before starting to cry - into my shoulder, which was unnerving. How could someone like Haruhi break down like this? How could someone so energetic sink to this?

Haruhi's words about Kyon – who else could she have been talking about but me? – being gone and losing her parents' affection continued to echo through my head. I hadn't realised it yet, it only having been two days, but in Haruhi's altering the world I had not only lost my parents' affection and any contact with my parents but also my little sister. Gone was any chance of being called onii-chan again, as was the chance to see her grow and pass through school. Gone was any chance of being woken up by her.

And not only my relationship with my family had suffered – every relationship I had had with anyone outside of Koizumi, Nagato and possibly Asahina-san was gone, erased from my history as if it had never existed. Any friends from previous schools didn't know I existed and my relationships with those in my class had been reset.

I could see why Haruhi had found the alcohol. Maybe she was willing to share.

An hour or two, time seemed to have blurred into nothing more than meaningless, cheerless conversation and the slow draining of the bottles Haruhi had brought (how was either of us still conscious?).

"Hey, Kyonko-chan, you ever kissed anyone?"

I don't think so; I can't remember ever being that close to anyone outside of a dream. Or was it real? I can't remember. It seems so hazy now. And why are you calling me that?

"Do you want to?"

I guess I do. Why are you asking? Wait, what are you-

Haruhi was kissing me. It may have tasted of alcohol but I couldn't have been any better. Still, Haruhi was kissing me. And then she stopped, pulling me out of my slouch and completely onto the floor.

"That's the first time I've ever kissed anyone, as well. I'm glad that it was you. You're like the female version of Kyon. I like that."

Haruhi had somehow wrapped herself around me, like Asakura had two nights ago. Asakura… now I felt like I was betraying her. But still, it was warm and not uncomfortable. It couldn't hurt to close my eyes for a while, could it?

AN: Review, please?

If you knew what sort of random stuff I listen to whilst writing this, you would be paralysed with fear. Not really, just a reference to one of Asakura's character songs (COOL EDITION). But I do listen to random music not suited for the scenes I'm writing.